The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and relevant links.

Dinosaur Track in Berlin, Connecticut

I came upon this dinosaur imprint awhile ago while exploring the East Berlin formation near Berlin, Connecticut. The track is a "negative track," meaning it’s the elevated imprint of the next layer of sandstone and shale. I’m rather confident that the maker of this track was likely a Coelophysis, which was quite common during the late Triassic/early Jurassic period, approximately 200 million years ago. Close inspection shows the claws on this three-toed carnivore. These fossil prints are believed to have formed at the bottom of a very shallow lake bed or muddy stratum. The sedimentary layers here are loaded with dinosaur prints. Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, having well known dinosaur trackways, is nearby where the above specimen was found.